


Demand and consent

by FragileObject



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Angst, Implied Mpreg, Love, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-18
Updated: 2013-03-18
Packaged: 2017-12-05 18:18:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/726359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FragileObject/pseuds/FragileObject
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones have been through a hell to get where they are. For the first time in many years, Ianto feels happy and thinks it's time to take another step.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Demand and consent

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Demanda y consentimiento](https://archiveofourown.org/works/726341) by [FragileObject](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FragileObject/pseuds/FragileObject). 



> I apologize, as usual, for my poor english. Thank you.

A week had passed and Ianto had thought a lot since then. It was a strange circumstance. Jack had suffered one of his most horrible deaths. The growing internal pressure he had been enduring for months had finally damaged his kidneys and liver in an irreversible way. And his stubbornness, against the advice of the experts and the pleas of Ianto, holding on day after day, had done the rest causing a massive hemorrhage that had ended killing him. Luckily, the Doctor and his two specialized colleagues had acted with meteoric speed and the baby was still alive when they took her out of the bowels of Jack’s corpse. Although, in his case, it would have been the same if they had been only a couple of butchers, because all they did to him was open him in channel. For Ianto it had been traumatic. But that was the funny thing, Jack had died in a dreadful way and Ianto, who hadn’t separated from him, had felt the fear and pain as his own. In contrast, in the future, they would remember that day as something wonderful and worthy of celebration: the birthday of their daughter. Ironic.

During the first two days of the life of the little girl, Jack was dead. During the next five, he didn’t separate from her. When the Doctor allowed him to take her out of the incubator in order to feed her, the Captain took her in his arms as if they were hungry to hold her. When she laid inside the strange futuristic machine, he wasn’t away from the glass.

Ianto had thought much. Most of his thoughts had developed while Jack was dead. Waiting for the resurrection, keeping vigil of Jack and taking care of their daughter with the help of the Doctor, Ianto accepted reality. The most remarkable facts were these: 1-He was a father. 2-The person who has conceived, gestated and given birth to his daughter (so dramatically and unusually) was another man, an arrogant, uncontrollable and often unbearable man whom, at times, he wanted to kill (which wouldn’t be of much help because he and his blatant arrogance would be back again sooner or later). 3-He loved that man with all his soul (as he had never loved anyone) for his courage, nobility and tenderness. For his brilliance and beauty, too.

To this list of unusual facts he could add that they were traveling through space on a inmense ship that was no more than a blue cabin in its outside... but that was not important. What mattered was that he was a father and he was in love. For the first time in a long time, Ianto Jones was happy.

And even more, during the weeks they had lived in the TARDIS, the Doctor had made available for him an incredible knowledge about the universe and Ianto, possessing a privileged and highly structured mind, had eagerly absorbed it. Now he understood many things that before, even working on Torchwood, he could not imagine. He now had a very different vision of the cosmos. In short, Ianto was conscious that his life had changed forever and, though he knew it would not be easy, he accepted it without reservation.

Ianto entered the room that the TARDIS had prepared for them and Jack looked up at him. He was sitting in a rocking chair, feeding the baby with a small bottle. His eyes were brighter than ever. His face, finally free of the pain and fear that had lasted so long was so astonishingly beautiful that sometimes Ianto forgot to breathe. Ianto was not aware (or he didn’t want to be) that Jack felt the same when he looked at him.

—Look who’s here, Gwyneth. Taddy has come to see you —Jack said quietly.  
Ianto sat on a chair by the rocking chair and kissed the baby’s tiny forehead. Then, passing a hand through the hair on the nape of his lover, he also kissed him on the forehead. He was pleased to see a faint blush on the cheeks of the Captain, even if it meant he was not yet emotionally recovered from the trauma. Or maybe it was just a new facet that he had not yet discovered.

—Taddy was trying to understand how the tachyons transducers of the VM and the TARDIS interact with the vortex itself, I do not know if I will be able to remember it in ten minutes —Ianto said playing with the hair on Jack’s nape.

—When we get home, Taddy will be the smartest man on Earth.

—Well, maybe the second-smartest... —the Welshman objected caressing Jack’s cheeckbone with his thumb. A second later, Ianto placed a soft kiss on his lips. Jack closed his eyes for a second and smiled—. And by the way... how long have I been “Taddy”?

Jack’s smile widened even more.

—For the past week.

—I understand. And that makes you...

—If you say “Mom” I'll blow your head.

Ianto laughed. Definitely, the old Jack was back. And he loved that.

—“Dad”, I was going to say “dad”.

Jack dropped the empty bottle of the baby’s mouth.

—“Dad” is fine. I guess.

Both men looked at the girl tenderly. The little girl took her fists to her face, stretched a bit and let out a belch worthy of a drunk feudal lord. Her parents laughed.

—Isn’t she the nicest thing you’ve seen in your life? —Jack said, enthralled.

—She looks like you.

—She’s exactly like you.

They had said it at the same time. Both looked each other and laughed again.

—Marry me —Ianto said.

Jack shut up, suddenly and visibly surprised. Even scared. His eyes, fixed on Ianto, widened further.

—What do you say, Ianto?

—Marry me, Jack Harkness.

A grin, but rather nervous and bitter, appeared on Jack’s lips.

—Do you want to make a respectable man of me? —he asked, gesturing to indicate the baby asleep in his arms—. No need to. We don’t need to change anything, Ianto.

—But I want to! You got married before and I’m sure you did it for love. Why not me?

—I ... —Jack put aside the empty bottle that he was still holding in his hand. He breathed deeply—. Look, Ianto. It was another time, everything was different... Ignoring the fact that I am immortal, it was more or less easy to have a wife and a kind of family life for a while. Although in the end, it always ended in disaster. Besides... I never married a man.

Ianto shrugged.

—There’s a first time for everything. I had not even gone to bed with a man before I met you.

Jack raised an eyebrow, coming in "Captain Harkness" mode in a blink of an eye.

—“Gone to bed”? What a euphemism! The beds are great but I don’t remember that you and I need...

—Jack, Gwyneth is here —Ianto whispered, pretending severity, knowing that Jack did it to change the subject.

—Oh. I understand. Sorry.

—I think she has not heard you. So the problem is that I am... a man?

Jack smiled at the face of feigned disbelief of Ianto. He shook his head.

—No, Ianto, I have no such prejudices. Love knows no gender, or race. Or species. It’s just you... you’re so young... —he added, his voice and eyes tinged with sadness—. Why would you want to condemn your life with me?

Ianto felt like laughing in sheer disbelief.

—What! Are you talking about condemning my life... now? And what about Torchwood? Torchwood is forever, do you forget? —a disturbing thought flashed into his mind—. Or are you planning to retcon and abandon me on an unknown planet?

—Oh, do not talk nonsense, Ianto!

The young Welshman was a little annoyed.

—But you didn’t care to condemn me six years ago, when I strove to get into Torchwood...

—I didn’t love you then —said Jack, flatly, with a tinge of desperation in his voice.

Ianto was silent for a moment. He knew Jack loved him, but it was wonderful to hear it. He smiled slightly because, somehow, he knew he had almost won.

—Jack —he said, softening his beautiful, deep voice and moving closer to the Captain—. I’m traveling through space far from Earth. I have met aliens. I’ve seen things I could not even dream of while being in Torchwood. And you have just had a daughter with me. Don’t you think it’s too late to change this? And another thing... Do you really think that this is not the life I want?

Ianto stroked Jack’s cheek and neck.

—Ianto... —Jack said, trying unsuccessfully to find other excuses.

—I love you, Jack.

—I love you too —Jack said quickly—. It’s just... I don’t want to hurt you.

—You’re not going to hurt me. I want to spend my life with you. If you want.

Jack sighed almost imperceptibly. He could not fight anymore and in fact he didn’t want to. He just wanted the best for Ianto and that was difficult to predict in their case and their way of life. He could only try to make him happy every moment of his life.

—There’s… —Jack said looking at Ianto timidly—. There’s a planet in the Eagle Nebula... It’s very small. It has the same temperature all year round in its equatorial zone, stunning waterfalls and beautiful beaches. The sand is orange... It’s a tourist destination and is used primarily for ceremonies. Weddings and so...

Ianto opened his blue eyes. He couldn’t believe it.

—Is that a “yes”?

Jack nodded, smiling at last.

—Yes, Ianto Jones, I'll marry you.

Ianto laughed. He wrapped his arms around Jack and they kissed. Gwyneth was still asleep, oblivious to everything.

—I want to do it as soon as possible, and I want to get married also on Earth —Ianto said while hugging his lover.

Jack looked at him, surprised.

—On Earth?

—In Wales, in my homeland.

—But why...? Besides, that would be a civil union...

—Whatever, I don’t care. I just want everyone to know. Let everyone know that Ianto Jones loves Jack Harkness with all his heart and he will spend the rest of his life with him and wouldn’t change it for anything or anyone.

Jack was speechless. He wanted to cry. He didn’t know if it was because he had not recovered yet mentally and emotionally from the long, terrible months of pregnancy and the atrocious birth that he had just suffered or simply because Ianto, among all creatures in the universe, had this power over him.

—Okay —he said very quietly, as resigned to something against which he could not fight.

His sudden docility, so unworthy of him, made them both laugh a little. Ianto tightened again the embrace and kissed him, gently at first, after a moment, vehemently.

—Ianto, Ianto… —Jack managed to say, panting on the lips of his lover—. Let’s not wake up Gwyneth—. Besides, she must come back to the incubator.

—Well —said Ianto, resigned, and stood up—. Let me do it.

Jack passed his light burden to his future husband carefully and followed him to the incubator that the Doctor had installed in their room.

He observed how Ianto deposited their child on the sheet, closed the socket and manipulated the controls as the Doctor had taught them. While both watched and admired the sleeping miracle, Jack stroked Ianto’s back under his shirt.

—And another thing: try to make of me the father of a large family and I'll blow your head.

Ianto smiled broadly. He slid a hand under Jack’s shirt and caressed his belly in return.

—Don’t worry, cariad. Any idea how much Gwyneth’s University will cost?

The two men laughed and kissed again. Gwyneth stirred in her dream but the TARDIS hummed to her until she calmed down again. If their parents had not been busy with each other, they would have seen the beautiful smile that spread across her little face.


End file.
